


Wild Imagination

by mrpicard



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Gay, Goodbyes, Husbands, Love, M/M, Marriage, Old Age, Old!Alexander, Old!Picard, The laws of universal physics, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 14:30:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16221044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: Picard and Alex ponder an important question.





	Wild Imagination

**Author's Note:**

> Dear everyone,
> 
> due to recent "announcements and developments" concerning Jean-Luc Picard's canonical Star Trek future I have decided to stop writing fan fiction since a) I feel there's no reason for it anymore and b) I have now lost the ability to do so without having an emotional breakdown over certain issues. Since I did not want to leave my readers behind without a word, I have sat down and written one last ficlet. 
> 
> I would like to thank each and every one of you, my readers, for your support. I know I'm not writing the most popular TNG pairings ever, but your feedback and even just the kudos have gotten me through some pretty rough times in the past. I shall leave my stories here for everyone to re-read whenever they'd like to, but there won't be anything new coming from me. I'm not saying there will NEVER be anything again, but, for now, this is goodbye - for the sake of what's left of my sanity.
> 
> Thank you all again, from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> ~ Alexander

 

 

_LaBarre, France_

_Earth_

 

 

Picard took his cane, slowly got up from the couch and then walked over to Alex, who was standing in front of the huge window that allowed him to look over the entire vineyard. "Alexander?"

"Hmm?"

Picard stopped next to him. "Do you think there's a universe in which we've never met?"

Alex raised an eyebrow. "What makes you ask that?"

"I was just thinking about something both Guinan and Q have mentioned to me - about the two of us being a universal constant." Picard leaned heavily on his cane. "Neither of them was being very clear on what exactly this means, of course, but I still find myself wondering."

"Well... if both Guinan _and_ Q mentioned it to you I'd pretty much take it for granted that it's part of some really serious 'fabric of the universe' business."

Picard smiled slightly. "I agree. But what do you think it means?"

Alex briefly stroked his long white beard before he answered. "Maybe that us being together is something that provides stability and is therefore meant to be - in all universes, not just in this one?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Picard agreed and looked out of the window as well. The sun was setting over the vineyard, and, no matter how many times he had seen this happening, it never ceased to amaze him just how beautiful it all was.

"Who knows, though..." Alex continued, "there might be a universe in which we aren't together but still know each other in some way. Or one where we don't know each other but still feel like as if we should."

"Hmm. That sounds rather sad."

"It probably is - I doubt things are always as happy as they are in this universe here. In some others we might both be pining after each other without knowing that the other one feels the same way. Or it might even be worse than that: It could just be one of us who knows, and the other can't or doesn't - maybe one of us isn't real and the other is still forced to love him despite knowing that there will never be a way of being together."

Picard frowned. "How is something like that even supposed to work?"

"I don't know... maybe one of us is a character in a book or holo-series or something, and the other is real and the universe, with its cruel way of making sure things stay constant, forces the real one to fall in love with the fictional one, despite things being completely hopeless."

"That sounds rather... wild to me," Picard admitted.

"I've always had a wild imagination."

Picard chuckled. "I know. You should have become a writer."

"Maybe I _am_ a writer in some of these other universes. Who knows, I might be a writer in that very universe I just mentioned, and right now I'm sitting there, writing the very words we're saying. And if - for whatever reason - I stop writing about us, we cease to exist."

Picard shook his head. "Alexander..."

"I know, I know. My wild imagination again."

"Yes." Picard reached out his hand and took his husband's. "Still... this wild imagination of yours is one of the things I love about you."

Alex gently squeezed Picard's hand. " _You_ have some of it as well - _you_ were the one who started this whole discussion."

"It _is_ normal for a married couple to adopt some of each other's character traits over time," Picard retorted.

"Oh, so you're blaming _me_ now?"

"I most certainly am."

They looked at each other, both smiling, their old bearded faces golden due to the light from the setting sun that shone through the windows.

"I love you," Alex said softly.

"And _I_ love _you_ ," Picard replied, still holding his husband's hand, without any intention of letting go.

 

 

 

 **_'Cause I miss you, body and soul, so strong that it takes my breath away_ **  
**_And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today_ **  
**_'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right_ **  
**_And though I can't be with you tonight_ **  
**_You know my heart is by your side_ **  
**_I don't want to run away but I can't take it_ **  
**_I don't understand_ **

**_If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?_ **

 

**_(Daniel Bedingfield, 'If You're Not The One')_ **


End file.
